Contempt of court plea filed in Aafia's case

LAHORE - Counsel for US captive Dr Afia Siddiqui has filed a contempt of court petition before Lahore High Court against ministries of interior and foreign affairs for releasing $2 million to three American lawyers for defending Dr Afia in US courts, in violation of LHCs order. The counsel Barrister Iqbal Jafrree submitted that the LHC on August 12 had restrained the federal government from releasing the said money to the US lawyers for pleading the case of Dr Afia Siddiqui in American courts. The court in its order had said: If the payment has not yet been made to attorneys in America, the same should be withheld till the final decision of the LHC. Counsel said the government in sheer violation of courts orders released the hefty amount to the panel of three American lawyers. He requested the court to initiate proceedings against the Ministries of interior and foreign affairs under contempt of court charges. Earlier in petition, the counsel challenged the allocation of $2 million (Rs170 million) by the government for pleading the case of Afia through three lawyers in America and feared that the hard earned money of the nation would go to the pockets of some people and the needful would remain unachievable. He said that the government laid aside such hefty amount for fighting the case while it did not bother to write to the ICJ spending a small amount to take up the matter. He prayed to the court for restraining the spending of the said amount on fighting and moving the ICJ. Barrister Jafrree also filed a habeas corpus petition seeking recovery of Dr Afia from American detention on which comments from respondent ministries were pending.